Purification and prayer for one who suffers from haemorrhoids

Question

I have haemorrhoids. What should I do so that my prayer will be valid?.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Haemorrhoids refers to a
distension of the veins around the anal opening, and they may be internal or
external. Distension in the veins of the external part of the anus causes
external haemorrhoids, and distension in the veins of the internal part of
the anus causes internal haemorrhoids.

Secondly:

With regard to tahaarah
(purification), if the haemorrhoid is external, it does not invalidate
wudoo’ and it comes under the same ruling as boils. He has to clean his
garment and his body, but if that is too difficult for him, then he does not
have to wash his garment or change it, so as to ward off hardship and
difficulty.

If it is internal but the
bleeding reaches the outside – if it is intermittent then it invalidates
wudoo’, but if it is continuous then he should do wudoo’ – according to the
majority of scholars – after the time for prayer begins, and he comes under
the same ruling as one who suffers form urinary incontinence or istihaadah
(non-menstrual bleeding).

Yahya ibn Sa’eed al-Ansaari
was asked about a man who had haemorrhoids which kept coming out and he
pushed them back with his hand. He said: If he has to do that every time,
then he does not have to do anything more than washing his hand. If that
happens a great deal and is frequent, then we do not think that he has to
wash his hand. It is like a calamity that has befallen him so he is excused,
like one who has an ulcer.

Al-Mudawwanah,
p. 121.

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in
al-Musannaf (1/164) from al-Sha’bi that he was asked about a man who
had haemorrhoids, and he said: He should pray even if (blood) flows from his
head to his feet.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:

He does not have to do
wudoo’ in the case of injury or haemorrhoids, unless it is coming from the
inside, in which case it invalidates wudoo’.

Al-Majmoo’
(2/541).

Thirdly:

With regard to praying: If
he is able to stand when praying, then he should do so, because standing in
an obligatory prayer is an essential part of the prayer, and there is no
difference of scholarly opinion on this point. If he is unable to stand
because of his sickness, then he should pray sitting down. If he cannot do
that, then he should pray lying on his side. This is what was stated by our
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the Sahaabi
‘Imraan ibn Husayn, who suffered from haemorrhoids.

It was narrated that
‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I had haemorrhoids
so I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
about praying. He said: “Pray standing up, and if you cannot, then sitting,
and if you cannot, then on your side.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1066).

It should be noted that if
he prays sitting or on his side, he will still have the full reward, and
nothing will be detracted from the reward for his prayer because of that.

It was narrated that Abu
Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person
falls sick or is travelling, there will be recorded for him (a reward) like
that for the deeds that he used to do when he was not travelling and was
healthy.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2834).